help with purchasing a used car...

while nothing is foolproof, here is how to greatly increase your chances re used cars

- stay away from a used car dealership (alot of these are accident cars fixed sloppily for a quick profit)
- look for private sales, chances are you can find the seller on Linkln, facebook (maybe you have mutual friends) - it can (but not always) help you figure out of the are the honest type of seller.
- stick with japanese cars (ie toyota)
- get a sedan not an suv (suv's hold value unnaturally due to the demand for them while nobody wants sedans anymore so they still depreciate 'normally')
- look for basic cars, normally aspirated engines - nothing turbocharged or hybrids or too performance oriented. all the fancy features have a much greater chance of breaking
- get cars that are mostly dealer serviced (make sure to get all the paperwork)
- with the maintenance paperwork above, you can easily see if the car was neglected or not re maintenance which will give you an decent indicator of future reliability
- make sure to ask for accident history (ask for carproof) - avoid accident cars
- buy cars with substantially lower then avg milage (ie. keep in mind an average person in toronto drives 20,000km a year, so look for the ones that are driven half of that if possible). if the car is old enough, the lower milage wont be able to command a better price for the seller (10 years old), but it will help the car sell. based on your budget i am guessing you are looking for 10+ year old cars.
- have a body shop friend or know what to look for when inspecting a cars in person. look for things like even body line gaps, and diff paint colors across body panels that are dead obvious signs of a sloppy collision repair. im sure there are videos on youtube that explain this, it's easy to learn.
- compare pricing and negotiate pricing only if the above checks out - use autotrader/kijiji as a decent guide to avg out if the asking price is fair or not.
- gta isnt always the easiest to score the best deal on a used car, but 100+km out there are ALOT less cash buyers for good quality under driven cars - expand your search parameters.

based on your criteria, with patience you should be able to get a decent camry/corolla about 10 years+ in age that should last you a reasonable amount of years with reasonable/typical maintenance required.

jimidean2011 said:

thanks for all the comments and feedback. im not nor have i ever been in the financial position to purchase new and even if i were, as mentioned the initial depreciation on the purchase makes it a bad investment. even certified pre owned cars are for the most part are at least 10-15,000. generally speaking my budget for a used car is $5000. i am well aware that for that price i am not going to find an amazing vehicle that is going to last 10 years problem free. i get that and i try and be realistic. what i do expect from a vehicle at that price point is to be able to at least get a years worth of driving out of it without needing to make any major repairs($500 and up). in the past, before this current streak of bad vehicles and major repairs i had no problems buying winter beater type vehicles for $1000-2000 with lots of life left in them. with inflation, over time i have increased my budget accordingly up to $5000. am i really that out of touch with reality?

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I've purchased 2 used vehicles both with my mechanic in tow...both no issues, it was a subaru impreza and later on a toyota highlander....both great in winter...never trust the pitch...salesmen always want used cars out of their lots asap...not even the "peace of mind warranty" can save you from a lemon....

jimidean2011 said:

thanks for all the comments and feedback. im not nor have i ever been in the financial position to purchase new and even if i were, as mentioned the initial depreciation on the purchase makes it a bad investment. even certified pre owned cars are for the most part are at least 10-15,000. generally speaking my budget for a used car is $5000. i am well aware that for that price i am not going to find an amazing vehicle that is going to last 10 years problem free. i get that and i try and be realistic. what i do expect from a vehicle at that price point is to be able to at least get a years worth of driving out of it without needing to make any major repairs($500 and up). in the past, before this current streak of bad vehicles and major repairs i had no problems buying winter beater type vehicles for $1000-2000 with lots of life left in them. with inflation, over time i have increased my budget accordingly up to $5000. am i really that out of touch with reality?

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best thing for that budget is to look for a car that is versatile on all weather. AWD is the way to go. A used car may have nothing wrong with it but If it's not a good winter car, you will still be out if it can't handle the weather. Look into an impreza by Subaru. again have a mechanic look at it before you sign the paper...that's one mistake you can't afford to have.

What is the year And Milage

jimidean2011 said:

before this last disaster i went into the situation with extreme caution and only after doing tons of research. i checked every perceived box that i could see with the exception of the mechanic inspection. avoided dealers, went private. reputable brand and model(honda civic) low kms, lady driven, serviced by honda, maintenance records, extended test drive, i narrowed down which years of civics were problematic and avoided those years. things seemed above board until i went to safety it. right off the hop the mechanic, right in front of me poked something with his finger and off dropped a metal part. apparently something called a linkage which is related to the suspension. in total that costed $650 to correct and certify. now after driving the car for less than 500k i have discovered an issue with the engine mount and an issue with the water pump. i have no idea of a time frame before i need to address these issues and neither is cheap.

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jimidean2011 said:

and have just recently purchased my forth absolute lemon in under 2 years.

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Just out of curiosity, what year/make/model were the lemons you bought?

einar said:

Another idea: buy a used car from a new car dealership. They don't want the bad publicity of selling you a lemon. You'll pay a little extra if you go this route.

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This is not a bad idea. They will (should) know if the car has had regular maintenance, oil changes etc. as well as any and all recall work has been performed. Also if the car has been in a collision.

yomero5 said:

Don't. Buy a new car.

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If you can afford to. OP has a $5000 budget.

tombstoned23 said:

As new and low miles as possible is what I would look for. Check for leaking fluids, rust on body, see if engine or suspension makes any abnormal noises on a test drive. Does it drive straight, brake properly, tires in good shape, winter tires?

Pretty basic. The older the car, the more things should be checked out. In terms of brands honda and toyota have proven reliability.

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Good advice. If you're buying used, ask the seller if he has maintenance records. Look up recalls on the vehicle and see if they've been completed. Higher mileage vehicles 200,000 kms + sometimes require expensive maintenance. Spark plug replacement (dealer can charge a lot for that, believe it or not) water pump, timing belt. etc. Just be aware of that.

Frankfooter said:

Yes, buy a solid brand, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai are ok (though Hyundai had some models with recalls)
I've bought through craigslist a couple of times but there the biggest point is whether you can trust your sellers. If what they say seems real and if they have all the paperwork, repair bills.... you stand a better chance.
Its worked really well for me in the past.

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Good advice as well. Although I would say Toyota, Honda then Hyundai in that order. Older Hyundai's typically have more issues.

Ask to see the Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP). The private seller of a used motor vehicle is required to purchase one. For most transfers of vehicles between private sellers, a UVIP is mandatory. It will tell you how many people have owned the car. The purchaser must then present the UVIP to the Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing Office when transferring the vehicle registration.

jimidean2011 said:

thanks for all the comments and feedback. im not nor have i ever been in the financial position to purchase new and even if i were, as mentioned the initial depreciation on the purchase makes it a bad investment. even certified pre owned cars are for the most part are at least 10-15,000. generally speaking my budget for a used car is $5000. i am well aware that for that price i am not going to find an amazing vehicle that is going to last 10 years problem free. i get that and i try and be realistic. what i do expect from a vehicle at that price point is to be able to at least get a years worth of driving out of it without needing to make any major repairs($500 and up). in the past, before this current streak of bad vehicles and major repairs i had no problems buying winter beater type vehicles for $1000-2000 with lots of life left in them. with inflation, over time i have increased my budget accordingly up to $5000. am i really that out of touch with reality?

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If that's the case, I recommend you look for a used Toyota. Do a search on Auto Trader for Toyota, $5,000 Max. enter your postal code and all models. A quick search with my Toronto postal code found over 250 used Toyotas for $5K or less.

If you have a particular model in mind, select that. You'll see lots of Corolla, Camry, Yaris, Sienna, Matrix etc. Look for lower mileage ones. Once you see something that piques your interest, do some research on that particular model/year vehicle.

Be informed and good luck.

james t kirk said:

I'm not so sure that a $10,000 Lexus isn't going to have issues. Unless it's just really old with low kilometres and even then.

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I was only using 10000 as a comparison to 2000.

jimidean2011 said:

prior to this it was 2002 honda civic 200k(which i later found out is notorious for head gasket and transmission problems) 2007 mazda 3 200k(absolute nightmare for repairs) and 1997 acura 1.6 250k which i got from a friend for $500 which was not bad but ended up having to put $1200 into it within the first few months.....

i realize now that pulling the trigger too quick leads to great disappointment but it gets overwhelming and frustrating especially when a seemingly good deal slips through your fingers.

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I sympathize with you but the harsh reality of it is that an 18 year old Honda Civic, a 12 year old Mazda and a 23 year old Acura, and pretty much any car under $5,000 is going to be well worn, and many components nearing the end of their life. They will fail without warning and simply have to be replaced. The cost of mechanic's time and parts can quickly add up. There is a reason the owner is selling the car. Usually because the repairs are coming more and more frequently.

Have a really hard look at your finances and see if it is not wiser to buy the least expensive new car with a cheap finance rate over the longest period, and keep the car.

$5,000.00 can buy you two years of $200/month payments with a low probability of unexpected major repairs.

Your $5,000 20 year old used car is going to cost you a minimum of $1,200 a year in repairs if you are lucky. So there is $100.00 month. Your $5,000 car is likely going to depreciate to $4,000 the moment you drive it away, and another $1,000 a year MINIMUM based strictly on age and mileage so just repairs and depreciation on your shitbox 20 year old beater is going to cost you pretty much $200.00 month anyways. About the same as a new, basic car with a substantial warranty, great mileage, predictable maintenance, much improved safety and comfort features etc.

Here is a new 2020 Kia Rio for $200/mo.

Here is a 2020 Chevy Spark for $180 month .


FWIW, I hope it helps

SchlongConery said:

I sympathize with you but the harsh reality of it is that an 18 year old Honda Civic, a 12 year old Mazda and a 23 year old Acura, and pretty much any car under $5,000 is going to be well worn, and many components nearing the end of their life. They will fail without warning and simply have to be replaced. The cost of mechanic's time and parts can quickly add up. There is a reason the owner is selling the car. Usually because the repairs are coming more and more frequently.

Have a really hard look at your finances and see if it is not wiser to buy the least expensive new car with a cheap finance rate over the longest period, and keep the car.

$5,000.00 can buy you two years of $200/month payments with a low probability of unexpected major repairs.

Your $5,000 20 year old used car is going to cost you a minimum of $1,200 a year in repairs if you are lucky. So there is $100.00 month. Your $5,000 car is likely going to depreciate to $4,000 the moment you drive it away, and another $1,000 a year MINIMUM based strictly on age and mileage so just repairs and depreciation on your shitbox 20 year old beater is going to cost you pretty much $200.00 month anyways. About the same as a new, basic car with a substantial warranty, great mileage, predictable maintenance, much improved safety and comfort features etc.

Here is a new 2020 Kia Rio for $200/mo.

Here is a 2020 Chevy Spark for $180 month .


FWIW, I hope it helps

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^Listen to this man.

Stick with toyota or honda - thank me in 10 years

jimidean2011 said:

again thanks to everybody trying to help but on top of not being able to buy new i also have a terrible credit rating so getting financing would be an issue. i know any car is eventually going to need to be fixed i just cant figure out how to find one that is going to at least give me some mileage before i have to sink a grand into it and as i mentioned, in the past getting taken advantage of didnt seem to be as common place as it is now. usually if a car had issues the seller would advise you of them where as now not so much. one thing that really has me puzzled is how the previous owner managed to mask the fact that there is an engine mount issue. i test drove it for half an hour and there was no vibration and no obvious issue. now 500k later it is quite noticeable.

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Wellllll.... things have to break at some point. That point could have been 1 km before or after your test drive.

All components wear out and/or break. And that is the point of buying an older car, there is more wear and tear on them already. There doesn't have to be any malice or screwing anyone over involved. Cars break down and they need to be fixed.

Wth $5k down, you can probably get financing on a new, low cost car. Kia has 0% financing and are eager to move product and have less stringent credit requirements than the bank. Never mind the direct cost of ownership being lower, you won't waste time and money with break downs and the repair period.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a used car from a car lot and get them to finance you. Those guys are predators.

You won't find a $5k used car on a new car dealer's lot either. They will wholesale it, as-is to their used car dealer buddies.

Sorry to be so negative but this is the reality of the $5k certified used car.

SchlongConery said:

Your $5,000 20 year old used car is going to cost you a minimum of $1,200 a year in repairs if you are lucky. So there is $100.00 month. Your $5,000 car is likely going to depreciate to $4,000 the moment you drive it away, and another $1,000 a year MINIMUM based strictly on age and mileage so just repairs and depreciation on your shitbox 20 year old beater is going to cost you pretty much $200.00 month anyways. About the same as a new, basic car with a substantial warranty, great mileage, predictable maintenance, much improved safety and comfort features etc.

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You can get a much newer car than a 20 year old beater for $5,000.00. And as for spending $1,200.00 a year on maintenance, certainly not on a Toyota. Take my wife's 2010 Corolla for example, it has 225,000 kms on it. She had the heater fan replaced under warranty because it made a chirping noise, but you could barely hear it. Other than that, a couple sets of brakes, oil changes and tires is the only things she's spent money on. In 10 years. It's why so many cabbies own Toyota products.

Something like this might suit the OP.

https://www.autotrader.ca/a/toyota/yaris/brampton/ontario/5_46941232_20170530184358394/?showcpo=ShowCpo&ncse=no&orup=12_15_239&pc=M5P%201E8&sprx=100

Or something bigger. Basically a Corolla with a different body.

https://www.autotrader.ca/a/toyota/matrix/st.%20catharines/ontario/5_46775401_20180611204232756/?showcpo=ShowCpo&ncse=no&orup=19_15_239&pc=M5P%201E8&sprx=100

jimidean2011 said:

2004 187k

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milage isnt bad for the year, but at 187km id expect you to have to do the timing belt water pump, spark plugs etc etc , were these all taken care of before? did you check re timing belt/water pump/ spark plug (sometimes coil pack) replacements? IF i were to buy a car at the 150/160km or 10+ years old I would ask that right away.

if you pay 5 grand for a car, an extra grand-1500 isnt that unreasonable for random things that wear out (ie brake job 650$), break, or seize (stupid parking break seizsure is almost a grand to fix).

koreanjames said:

milage isnt bad for the year, but at 187km id expect you to have to do the timing belt water pump, spark plugs etc etc , were these all taken care of before? did you check re timing belt/water pump/ spark plug (sometimes coil pack) replacements? IF i were to buy a car at the 150/160km or 10+ years old I would ask that right away.

if you pay 5 grand for a car, an extra grand-1500 isnt that unreasonable for random things that wear out (ie brake job 650$), break, or seize (stupid parking break seizsure is almost a grand to fix).

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If the water pump needs to be done then 99% timing belt and water pump hasn't been done.

Dont tell him what these things cost

OP you have owned some of the most reliable cars out there but you need to realize that cars need maintenance. If you buy one that hasn't been maintained at some point things are going to need to be done.

Whatever you do dont buy a kia lol

Get a used Yaris or Honda fit. I have a Yaris. Paid 7k. Best car I've ever had. These days all cars come with carproof report. Read it carefully.

OP you're wasting your time and money with a 5,000 car. Like others have already said, at that price point you're buying old worn out cars. People run their cars to 200k or whatever mileage it starts to need serious maintenance at and then dump it. You buy said car that previous owners haven't maintained and expect it to run perfectly, not gonna happen.

Spend 10-12 grand, buy something with just over 100k on it and you'll have a good car for years